[[File:Shelley_Berkley_2010_Donor_Breakdown.png‎‎|right|375px|thumb|Breakdown of the source of Berkley's campaign funds before the 2010 election.]] Berkley was re-elected to the [[U.S. House]] in 2010 for a sixth term. Her campaign committee raised a total of $2,232,438 and spent $1,992,403.<ref>[http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/elections.php?cycle=2010&cid=n00009818&type=I ''Open Secrets'', "Shelley Berkley 2010 Election Data," Accessed November 13, 2011]</ref>

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[[File:Shelley_Berkley_2010_Donor_Breakdown.png‎‎|right|375px|thumb|Breakdown of the source of Berkley's campaign funds before the 2010 election.]] Berkley was re-elected to the [[U.S. House]] in 2010 for a sixth term. Her campaign committee raised a total of $2,232,438 and spent $1,992,403.<ref>[http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/elections.php?cycle=2010&cid=n00009818&type=I ''Open Secrets'', "Shelley Berkley 2010 Election Data," accessed November 13, 2011]</ref>

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2011-2012

Issues

Specific votes

Fiscal Cliff

Berkley voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. She was 1 of 172 Democrats that voted in favor of the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257 - 167 vote on January 1, 2013.[6]

The University of Virginia's Center for Politics published an article called Sabato's Crystal Ball on March 22, 2012, detailing the eight races in the Senate in 2012 that would impact the political fate of which party ended up with control in 2013.[9] The seat rated a toss-up that Sabato's Crystal Ball believed was most likely to depend on the outcome of the Presidential election in November is the Senate seat in Nevada.[9] According to the article, "the size of the Hispanic vote in Nevada come November may be more of a deciding factor in this contest than any SuperPAC."[9]

On July 9, the Washington Post reported that the House Ethics Committee had voted unanimously to launch a formal investigation into allegations that Berkley had used her position to benefit the financial interests of her husband.[10]

The House Ethics Committee announced their investigation of Shelley Berkley after she acted to prevent a federal agency from closing a kidney transplant center to which her husband, Dr. Larry Lehrner, had financial ties.[11]

2010

On November 2, 2010, Berkley was re-elected to the United States House for a sixth term. She defeated Kenneth A. Wegner (R), Jonathan J. Hansen (Independent American), and Edward George Klapproth (Libertarian).[12]

United States House, Nevada General Election, 2010

Party

Candidate

Vote %

Votes

Democratic

Shelley BerkleyIncumbent

61.7%

103,246

Republican

Kenneth A. Wegner

35.3%

58,995

Independent American

Jonathan J. Hansen

1.7%

2,847

Libertarian

Edward George Klapproth

1.3%

2,118

Total Votes

167,206

Issues

Campaign themes

2012

On her website, Berkley said, "At the height of the recession, our nation was shedding nearly one million jobs each month and Nevada’s unemployment rate had skyrocketed to 14.5%. While there have been some improvements, Nevadans are still struggling and there is much work left to be done. Shelley Berkley understands this. That’s why her number one, two and three priorities are jobs, jobs and more jobs."

Protecting Social Security and Medicare

On her website, Berkley said, "In Congress, Shelley has opposed every effort to privatize Social Security accounts, which would drain trillions from the program and put Americans’ safety nets at the whim of Wall Street manipulation and foreign market fluctuations. She has stood strong to protect beneficiaries’ cost of living increase because she knows they can make or break a tight budget."

Housing/Foreclosure

On her website, Berkley said, "No state’s homeowners have been hit harder by the foreclosure crisis than Nevada. That’s why no one has fought harder than Shelley to help struggling Nevada families stay in their homes and help communities suffering from foreclosures."

National Security

On her website, Berkley said, "The death of Osama Bin Laden marked a change in America’s mission in Afghanistan and time for us to begin bringing our brave troops home, shifting more responsibility to the Afghan people. Shelley’s pushed for tough sanctions against oppressive regimes in North Korea, Syria, and Zimbabwe, and believes sanctions are the best tool to curb Iran’s efforts to develop nuclear weapons."

Veterans

On her website, Berkley said, "Shelley has stood up for Nevada’s veterans throughout her career in public service. She understands that America’s men and women in uniform have put their lives on the line in service to their country and that they deserve the best equipment and care in order to do their jobs."

Clean Energy Jobs

On her website, Berkley said, "Shelley is working to put Nevada on track to become a world leader in solar energy production. Whether it’s building large solar thermal plants or constructing solar panel manufacturing facilities, Shelley has made sure Nevada is forefront in the minds of solar businesses."

Preservation/Conservation

On her website, Berkley said, "The increase in renewable energy production throughout the state isn’t just creating jobs; it’s helping keep our air, water and land clean. And, Shelley will continue to promote clean energy and help break our dependence on polluting energy sources."

Yucca Mountain

On her website, Berkley said, "Shelley hasn’t just worked to stop the project. She’s worked to solve the problem. Experts and regulators have agreed that spent nuclear material can be secured onsite at nuclear plants for the next 100 years. Shelley has pushed legislation to extend that time period and secure nuclear waste through investments in onsite storage facilities. She’s also fought proposals that would revive wasteful spending for the project, instead advocating for deficit reduction and investment in clean energy technology and jobs."

Education

On her website, Berkley said, "As someone who was the first person in her family to attend college due to student loans, Shelley knows the importance of ensuring that all Nevada students have access to the same opportunities that she had. That’s why she’s voted to lower the interest rate on student loans, and has backed efforts to increase the value and number of Pell Grants."

Healthcare

On her website, Berkley said, "Shelley will continue to work to improve health care reform, and defend against efforts to defund the law that would strip Nevadans of these important benefits."

Immigration

On her website, Berkley said, "Shelley is also a strong supporter of the DREAM Act, which would give young people who were brought to this country by their parents through no fault of their own, stayed in school and kept out of trouble the opportunity to earn legal status by getting a college education or serving in the armed forces."[13]

Out-of-state donations

According to an Open Secrets report, Berkley ranked among the top ten senate candidates receiving out-of-state donations during the 2012 election cycle. She received $4,383,123, or 68.4%, of her donations from outside of Nevada.[19]

2010

Breakdown of the source of Berkley's campaign funds before the 2010 election.

Berkley was re-elected to the U.S. House in 2010 for a sixth term. Her campaign committee raised a total of $2,232,438 and spent $1,992,403.[20]

U.S. House, Nevada, 2010 - Shelley Berkley Campaign Contributions

Total Raised

$2,232,438

Total Spent

$1,992,403

Total Raised by General Election Opponent

$72,946

Total Spent by General Election Opponent

$72,482

Top contributors to Shelley Berkley's campaign committee

MGM Resorts International

$40,500

Bergman Walls & Assoc

$31,100

Wynn Resorts

$22,900

Caesars Entertainment

$14,600

Apollo Advisors

$14,400

Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee

Health Professionals

$240,753

Casinos/Gambling

$186,566

Pro-Israel

$143,007

Lawyers/Law Firms

$142,433

Real Estate

$110,132

Analysis

Congressional staff salaries

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Berkley paid her congressional staff a total of $1,223,809 in 2011. Overall, Nevada ranks 50th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.[21]

Staff bonuses

According to an analysis by CNN, Berkley was one of nearly 25 percent of House members who gave their staff bonuses in 2012. Berkley's staff was given an apparent $1,000.00 in bonus money.[22]

Net worth

2011

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Berkley's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $7,891,261 to $22,939,197. That averages to $15,415,229, which is higher than the average net worth of Democratic House members in 2011 of $5,107,874.16. Her average net worth increased by 12.83% from 2010.[23]

2010

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Berkley's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $7,236,882 to $20,087,837. Averaging to a net worth of $13,662,359.50 which was higher than the average net worth of Democrats in 2010 of $4,465,875.[24]

National Journal vote ratings

2012

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Berkley ranked 163rd in the liberal rankings among members of the U.S. House.[25]

2011

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Berkley was tied with one other member of the U.S. House of Representatives ranking 159th in the liberal rankings among members of the U.S. House.[26]

Voting with party

November 2011

Shelley Berkley voted with the Democratic Party 90.0% of the time, which ranked 142nd among the 192 House Democratic members as of November 2011.[27]

Personal

Berkley has two sons: Sam and Max. In March of 1999, Shelley married Dr. Lawrence Lehrner, a practicing Nephrologist in Las Vegas who has two children of his own: David and Stephanie.[28]

Recent news

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